Washing machine



Nov. 3; 1959 v. POIRIER 2,910,855

WASHING MACHINE Filed June l5, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 My @213 25/2; 22 35 55 4 7 H J Inventor VICT RIA r0 Attorney Nov. 3, 1959 v. POIRIER 2,910,355

- WASHING MACHINE Filed June .15, 1956 2 Sheet-Sheet 2 Inventor VICTORIA PO IER Attorney United States Patent WASHING MACHINE Victoria Poirier, Valleyfield North, Quebec, Canada Application June 15, 1956, Serial No. 591,667

2 Claims. (Cl. 68-22) This invention relates to improvements in a washing machine and appertains particularly to a small, or junior type appliance embodying both wash-tub and wringer and adapted to be power driven, as by electricity.

An object is to provide a small type washing machine that can be used daily rather than allowing laundry to accumulate for a weekly wash and to this end the appliance is light in weight and readily portable being provided with lifting handles; furthermore, as it is intended to be set on a table, chair, bench or the like, it has rubber cushioned legs and the whole device is in an attractively finished rectangular jacket with a fiat, unbroken table top thus allowing the same to be easily stored away on a shelf, in the lower unused part of an electric refrigerator, under the sink or table or even on the table since it is not in anyway "unsightly or awkward looking, or in any available space where it will be conveniently accessible. Then too, as it has especial appeal for apartment dwellers where space is limited, it may be made to serve as a table, seat or bench.

A further object of the invention is to provide a small sanitary washing machine adapted for daily use that is essentially compact, as well as light, and wherein it is desirable to have the several parts nest or fold in together so that for storage, when not in use, it may occupy the minimum of space.

A still further object is the provision of a junior electric Washer of the nature and for the purposes described that is characterized by structural simplicity, durability, efficiency and low cost of manufacture whereby the same is rendered commercially desirable.

To the accomplishment of these and related objects as shall become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as shall be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

The invention will be best understood and can be more clearly described when reference is had to the drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevation, with the adjacent side wall broken away, of a possible embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof, with the top or hinged cover removed;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of a modified form;

Figure 4 is a plan view of this modified design; and

Figure 5 is a detail plan view of the wringer bracket shown in Figures 3 and 4.

Housed in a rectangular box jacket or container 5, with legs 6 finished with rubber pads 7, and provided with a hinged top 8 and normally recessed lifting handles 9, this combined electric washing machine and wringer box is divided by a vertical partition 10 into two compartments A and B respresenting respectively about one-third and two-thirds of the boxes contents.

7 2,910,855 Patented Nov. 3, 1959.

In the section A an electric motor 11 is located, near the bottom and suitably mounted, preferably with its shaft 12 disposed vertically and carrying a drive pulley 13 on its lower end. An electric service cord 14, for this motor, for plugging in to any available outlet extends from the back of the box.

A removable horizontal tray 15 covers in the motor and serves to receive the clothes from the wringer. The wringer 16, when not in use hangs up-side-down in the upper part of this compartment A and is supported by the leaf of a hinge 17 mounted on the top of the partition 10 by means of which it may be swung through an angle of to rest on the other leaf of the hinge that extends part way over the compartment B.

In the latter compartment the wash tub 18 is located, being supported oif the bottom of the box 5 on legs 19, and in it is a conventional rotating or oscillating dolly 20. The dolly shaft 21 below the tub carries a gear 22 engaged by a reciprocating rack 23 that is connected to a crank pin 24 on a revolvable disk 25.

Near the front of the box and adjacent the partition 10 from which it is steadied by a bracket 26, stands a vertical shift rod 27 normally held depressed by a surrounding coil spring 28 but movable upwards against the spring by a thumb lever 29 overlying the bracket 26. A pulley 30 rotatable on the lower end of this rod is connected by a belt 31 with the motor pulley 13 and by shifting the rod 27, the said pulley 30 may be made to engage either pulleys 32 or 33 above and below it respectively. The latter pulley 33 connects by a belt 34 with the wash tub dolly disk 25 and the former pulley 32 connects by a belt 35 with a pulley 36 on. the lower end of a vertical shaft 37 near the back center of the box. The upper end of the shaft 37, provided with a square socket 38 is journalled in the overhanging free leaf of the hinge 17 and this socket is adapted to extend into a recess 39 on the underside of the wringer 16 and embrace the squared end of the wringer drive 40 that is designed to enter the socket 38 when the said wringer is hinged into upright and operative position, as shown in dotted outline in Figure 2. In this position the wringer partly overlies and drains into the tub 18 while the clothes passed by the wringer rolls fall into the compartment A, on the tray 15 there provided.

In the modified form shown in Figures 3 and 4 the tub and motor appear in the more conventional vertical arrangement. Here the upright rectangular box or jacket 5 with a fiat removable top 8 is divided by a horizontal partition 10*, more than half ways down, into upper and lower compartments C and D, in the lower of which an electric motor 11 served by a cord 14 has a pulley 13 on its shaft at the upper end as well as a revolving disk 25 directly engaging the rack 23* for oscillating the dolly shaft 21 In the upper compartment C is the small circular tub 1i; and in the back corner of the compartment stands a vertical shaft 37 that depends into the lower compartment D with a pulley 36 on its lower end driven by a belt 35 from the motor pulley 13 The squared socket 38 on the upper end of this shaft is journalled in a wringer bracket 41 rigidly carried by the adjacent corner of the box 5 This bracket has a hinged leaf 42 that normally lies in the same horizontal plane extending along the inside back of the box near the top. A second or outer leaf 43 is hinged angularly to this first or inner leaf 42 and it is this outer leaf that attaches to the wringer 16*. When not in use, the bracket, inner and outer hinged leaves 41, 42 and 43 respectively lie extended in the same horizontal plane with the wringer 16 hanging up-side-down in the tub 18. When the wringer is being used, it is swung vertically into upright position simply by folding the outer leaf 43 over onto the inner leaf 42 when the wringer overlies and is operatively engaged by the squared -socket on the upper end of its drive shaft 37 When the Wash tub is being used, the, wringr r is liftedover. the side of the, box, Where it, hangs horizontally, by folding over thev inner leaf 42 to superpose the. bracket proper, 41.

Because it may be, so easily used, so conveniently stored, away when not, in. use or employed as. an article of furniture, this collapsible, compact, sanitary junior electric washer will facilitate the hygenic, labor-saving practice. of daily. washing and prove of great advantage and usefulness, to small families, apartment dwellers, roomers, mothers with. youngfamilies and others,

From. the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a washing machine is. provided that, will fulfill all the necessary requirements of such a device but as many changes couldv be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of the invention may be constructed withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative or restrictive sense.

Having thus, described, the invention, whatI claim as new is:

l. A combined electric washer, and wringer comprising a rectangular box.jacket, a circular wash tub therein, an oscillating dolly in, said tub, a motor also disposed in said jacket and operatively connected with the dolly in said wash tub, and a wringer hingedly mounted on the top of said jacket and swingable into at least two positions, one an upright position resting on the top of said jacket and the other a collapsed position within said jacket, wherein the hinge mounting for the wringer comprises a horizontally disposed, inwardly projecting wringer bracket rigidly mounted on the jacket, a leaf hinged on an inner edge, thereof and normally lying in the same horizontal plane and a second leaf attached to the wringer and hingedly connected to the first leaf, the hinge connection, between the firstand secondlcaves being at an angle to the first leafs hinge connection with the supporting bracket.

2. The structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wringer may be swung into a third position hanging vertically downwards outside the jacket, with the inner leaf of the hinge overlying the wringer bracket mountedon the jacket.

References Cited in the file of' this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,748,296 Lombard Feb. 25, 1.930

2,334,780 Lundy Nov. 23, 1943 2,537,935 Lundy Jan. 9, 1951 2,679,151 Crockerill et al May'25, 1954 2,800,009 Barrett July 23, 195.7

FOREIGN PATENTS 597,236 Great Britain Jan. 21, 1948 

